It's Too Late
by shadoewhunter
Summary: Kobyashi and the Johnan team loves, loses, learns it's never too late; pre-nationals fic based on Weiss Kreuz song
1. Glimpse in the future

_It's Too Late-_ fanfiction based on Harlem Beat (pre-Rebound)

            _DISCLAIMER: I own nuthin…and I'm serious here!! **whimpers in fear of lawyers** This is all just out of my pure imagination. Okay…so maybe it ain't all realistic..but hey! It's fanfaction right? Okay here's the little pep talk._

_            Kobayashi and the Johnan Basketball people belong to __Harlem__ Beat. Weiss Kreuz belongs to Koyasu Takehito and the other seiyuus, people, etc. Miki Shin'ichiro (aka the voice of Yohji!!!) belongs to himself **sniff sniff**. Kyo and Damia belong to the people in my head. And…I think that's it. Anyways, enjoy. _

_            Oh! And the song "It's too late" belongs to Weiss Kreuz ( buy their CD's ! They're awesome!!!)_

_            I'm sorry if I can't add chapters very fast. The story is done. Just not typed up. But if you have any comments or advice please tell me! I don't mind editing to make things better! __J _

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_It's Too Late_

            "Kobayashi!" Kobayashi!" Nate's voice echoed through the old pipe-tunnel as he raced down the muddy hill, slipping and sliding on the dirt, Sawamura and Umakure right behind him. They came upon the Johnan forward kneeling in the puddles just beyond the tunnel, shoulders slumped in dejection, hands dug into the mud, grasping the dirt with all his anger, confusion, and hopelessness. 

            "Kobayashi…" Nate said, still breathing hard from the long chase. He reached out one hand to touch the man's shoulder, but Sawamura suddenly swatted it away. 

            "Don't. He's not himself right now."

            "I beg to differ." Shurman's calm voice came from behind them and they turned to the tall go-man of the Johnan basketball team. His collared shirt was stained from rain and sweat, having run all the way from the hospital downtown. 

            "Kobayashi is entirely in his right mind right now. Only…" He stepped forward toward the blond haired man kneeling in the billowing sheets of rain.

            "Only he's being forced to confront emotions that he never knew he could have. He never knew he could care for others this way, never knew he had feelings like this, never knew that _he could love._" His steps sent up a splatter of defiled rain water that settled as Shurman stopped directly by Kobayashi's side.

            "Am I right Sumisugu Kobayashi?"

            The blond haired man turned his head, still hunched over in agony, to look at Shurman.

            "Kyo. She's gone. They…they…" Ry Shurman's eyes were filled with pain, sympathy, and tears, hidden behind his glasses, all for this man they called "the samurai" and for the slender girl that had suffered and lost so much because of Johnan.

            "I know. Kobayashi. I know." The pony-tailed man's calm exterior shattered and he cried, howling as one who was not used to crying, crying for all that gone wrong so suddenly, for all that he hadn't been able to do, and for the abrupt end it had all come to.

            "Kyo-chan will be okay…right Shurman?" Nate asked, eyes shadowed in worry. Shurman opened his mouth to answer but Sawamura cut him off.

            "Even if she does recover," Umakure started in protest, "She will never be back. She will never trust again." Sawamura's words may have been collected but even the icy pretty-boy was shaken by the howls that resounded in the tunnel, and his eyes were troubled. 

            Umakure motioned Shurman over to his side and asked in a hissing whisper.

            "Can he still play? As forward, he's our primary scorer." Nate pushed in-between the two seniors.

            "Play? Scorer? Is that all you can think of?" His eyes glistened with tears that were in conflict with his set jaw.

            "Kyo-chan was raped!" Umakure held up one large hand to protest his position as captain. 

            "NATE!" Kobayashi's voice rang through the old tunnel and they all turned to stare at him. The junior had pushed himself off the ground; his jeans smeared with mud, rain having plastered his long bangs to his face and soaked his ribbed shirt.

            "It's okay. I have a responsibility to the team. To everyone. I'm…" He swallowed and rubbed his hands over his face. When he looked back it was obvious to everyone there of the change.

            "I'm fine." The cool samurai was back.

            Sawamura sauntered over to him and the two cool boys eyed each other. 

            The shorter shooter gave his a light punch on the shoulder. 

            "Come on Ronin. There are things we can do and things we can't. It wasn't your fault and no matter what you think, there's nothing you can do now."

            Kobayashi's eyes flared up in anger then died out. This was the first time Nate had ever seen his back down in deference to Sawamura. 

            Without another word, the group walked back through the opposite end of the tunnel, the rain still pouring down with all its foul bitterness onto the world. 

******

            Shadoewhunter- Arigato for reading! I hope you guys enjoyed the first chapter ( which is really a flash forward…umm yea…keep reading and you'll understand )

Please read and review! And I hope to get the next section up soon!


	2. Awkward first glance

Disclaimer: Stuff not mine, please read chapter 1. The story is placed 15 years in the future to make Miki Shin'ichiro's marriage work. Urrr….I say too much right now……okay! No more spoilers!

NOTE: Okay, sorry but the chapters for this story vary in length. This one is kinda short but necessary for introduction of the new character. 

_**Like the flames I lost you to, sadness overwhelms me, too_

_The rain sends shivers down my spine and seeps into my memories**_

            "Hey Shurman!" Gun hustled over to where the point guard was toweling off. The bright and happy senior took off his glasses to wipe away the condensation from his practice. It was hard work for the Johnan basketball team even during practice.  

            "Hm?" 

Gun pointed to a figure at the end of the court, putting equipment away into an electronics box. 

            "Who's that? We've never had people watch our regular practices before," he said almost accusingly. Shurman shrugged, as clueless as the point guard. The figure, finished packing up their stuff, seemed to hesitate as if wondering whether or not to leave, then turned and walked out of the gym, only turning back their head towards the team as they stepped past the double doors. 

            As the team members toweled off and changed into their own casual clothes, Shurman called out to the forward, Sumisugu Kobayashi as the quiet man was about to leave the locker room.

            "Kobayashi! I want to go over yesterday night's game points for Kenyoha High's game with you. Is that alright?" The blond-haired man nodded, put his Adidas duffel bag down and retied his short pony-tail. The rest of the team waved and voiced their goodbyes as well as sympathies to Kobayashi towards the tedious task ahead as they all made their way out of the locker room. Shurman brought his notes over. For nearby competing high schools, members of the Johnan team took turns going to their games and taking notes on other team's methods and skills. Shurman had been responsible for Kenyoha's against Bakura High last night. The two wingman for Johnan sat down and went over the notes for the game as Shurman pointed out discrepancies in the playing style and the moves that they should take into consideration. After fifteen minutes Shurman slapped the notebook closed. 

            "Alright, that's all for today then. Umakure will want to read this later." Shurman said. Kobayashi frowned and leaning forward, rested his head in one of his hands, with the other crossed on his stomach. 

            "We should work harder on Man-to-Man Defense. Our number one problem is the same as Kenyoha's, being that the flow still doesn't work," he voiced. Shurman nodded and placed the book on the shelf in the locker room. The two grabbed their bags and walked out together still talking about the changes needed in the team's one-on-one points and lacking aspects. 

            "Oh!" A figure suddenly was in front of the two, stumbling right into Kobayashi. He grabbed and pulled the person in to keep from falling as well. 

            It was the girl that Shurman had seen earlier, with her equipment bag still swinging on her shoulder. Kobayashi starred at her evergreen eyes, shadowed by long choppy bangs that bordered her face in wisps and wondered if she was Japanese.

            "Are you okay?" Shurman's voice woke Kobayashi and he hurriedly snatched his arms back, letting go of the girl. He blushed and looked bewildered down at his basketball shoes, only then realizing he had forgotten to change them.

            The girl ran one hand into her bangs, pushing them back. She was a little surprised but coughing tried to hide the light tinge across her cheeks. 

            "I'm fine." Her Japanese was perfect. "Umm….I'm Kyo Miki. I'm sorry, but I'm actually here to ask a favor…"She looked embarrassed and her fingers unconsciously pulled her long ponytail forward. 

            "I work on photography and I was wondering if it would be okay for me to create a photo album project on the Johnan Team. It'll be my first professional publication." She shifted her bag and bit her lip, looking at the two players who seemed caught off-guard by the bizarre request.

            Shurman scratched his head and smiled.

            "A photo album? Like a book of memoirs?" 

            She nodded.

            "Yes. I'd supply all of you with a copy of course but I was also hoping to interview some of the players, get some insight on the team as well as get photos during practice, at the games, and even on the street."

            Shurman crossed his arms and leaned against the wall of the court. 

            "I think it's a great idea. Would you want to start soon?" He asked.

            "ASAP, please," she said nodding. 

            "I have college prep class this week after school, but Kobayashi," Shurman said turning to the lean PF. "Could you possibly help out Kyo-Chan?"

            Kobayashi's head shot up and with huge eyes that made it quite trademark friendly smile. 

            "Umm…" The blond raised his hand to the back of his neck, rubbing muscles sore from the earlier practice. 

            "Sure…I guess," he said quietly, trying to make the words come out. "Ummm…I have to work tonight though. Is tomorrow morning okay? I usually come in 4:30 to 5:00 for practice every other day anyways."

            The girl nodded. 

            "Okay."

            The trio separated, Shurman going to his prep school, Kobayashi heading off to pick up his package from the nearby sports-shop, and Kyo walking off in search of dinner.

Author's Note:

            Sorry, kinda short, but I wanted to keep the chapters in their original form so it's easier to organize. Please R&R and I'll try to get another chapter up soon. While you're at it, why not read some of my short one-shots?


	3. Lonely Eyes

Disclaimer- See all the stuff from chapter 1….

Author's Note- Hey!! I'm alive!! Really!!

Chapter 3- Lonely Eyes

Kyo had been in three different high schools, two in the United States and one in Tokyo by the time she was sixteen. Finally, after a long and serious discussion with her parents regarding how hectic it was to her mental health, she finally settled down as an independent home study student. With her growing skill and professional interest in photography, she was publishing photos and being hired to hold photo shoots for professional magazines and companies. As her skill and expertise grew, she began to search for a subject to use in her first personal publication. One day while buying a bento from a small stand by the side of the road, she heard from a few Johnan students nearby about how exceptional their school's basketball team had become. After watching a pre-league game that was held in a high school near her, she felt that the team's invigorating spirit was exactly the type of attitude she wanted to present in her photo album.

The slender girl scooted back on her bed and checked the prints that she had finished developing earlier that evening and were finally dry. Her father had converted their library into a black room for her two years back. Some of the photos were too dark or blurred, it having been the first time she tried to shoot a game. One with the gigantically powerful Shurman setting up a shot, his glasses glinting in the fluorescent light of the gym was very powerful though and she set it aside on the bed. A second photo had a streak of light on the photo, running directly at an angle through the number 5 player while he was in midair, still full of power as the ball was leaving his hands.

She leaned back, holding the photo up to see it angled under her light. What was his name again? Kobayashi? Shurman had called him that. He was good-looking in a grim sort of way with bangs that fell forward in the front of his face and hair tied up in a ponytail. She giggled for a moment when a random thought came into her head.

::I wonder if he has fan girls?::

She grinned and laughed. That was random. The most interesting and alluring part of his attitude from what she'd seen of them through the lens of her camera was that he never showed any particular expression, remaining coldly calm throughout the entire practice.

::Well, no expression except when…::

She blushed, remembering the awkward situation she had been in, running the poor basketball player over and his quick catch, the wide eyes of shock and the red shadow of embarrassment he'd worn afterwards.

::Jeesh, Kyo, you are retarded.::

She scooped up the photos and tossed them onto her nightstand, which was right next to her bed. Flopping over, she turned so that she lay on her stomach as she looked at her missing parents' picture on her nightstand right next to the photos she'd just thrown down. She was home alone a lot but she didn't really mind. She found it gave her more time to work in her dark room without feeling guilty about ignoring "family time". But late at night, she found that she missed having people around to talk to and listen to her rant. It was these late nights that made her ache inside just a little.

"You know, dad, I have this total theory that somehow or another I'm going to embarrass myself doing this project. And I bet you're gonna laugh your ass off when I do too." She pursed her lips and poked her father's image in the picture.

"That's probably the worst part."

Author's Note: Yesh, I know it's short. But I didn't wanna get this and the next chapter mixed up. So please keep reading and reviewing!


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